


Two Weeks

by CometEclipse



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-20 00:03:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5985615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CometEclipse/pseuds/CometEclipse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Macaria works for a catering company that her best friend owns and operates. At a boring fancy event, she meets a certain Officer on leave. Suddenly, she is very interested in what her next two weeks will hold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Weeks

**Author's Note:**

> Purposefully didn't make her Trevelyan or Lavellan; let your imaginations run wild!

Macaria sighed as she pulled her black hair back into a ponytail. Another three hours of serving little trays of delicious goodies to some typically self-important people. And she had already been here since four this afternoon preparing everything. Good thing she loved her boss.

“The figs and goat cheese next, I think Mackie,” Rose called out to her and Macaria grimaced at her friend. Rose laughed, her hands busy placing new delectables on another tray. Macaria easily balanced the silver platter on her palm, then headed towards the door from the kitchen. 

She took a deep breath and pasted on a professional smile. With this type of group you didn’t want to be impassive, but you didn’t want to be too friendly either. A cool, faded smile. Something to not draw attention to yourself; the exclusive required it.

Pushing open the door, Macaria slipped into the crowd. Polite chatter rose over delicate instrumentals coming from four musicians playing in the corner. Laugher would chime out occasionally, airy and light. These people seemed to have no cares in the world.

But for some of them, she knew that wasn’t true. Interspersed throughout the crowd were men and women each adorned in similar uniforms. Pristine white jackets and slacks, medals on their left breast and shining silver metalwork. Whatever this event was for, the top brass of the Inquisition were present.

Macaria slowly passed from little knot to little knot, unobtrusively offering her current set of appetizers to the wealthy of Redcliffe. Many seemed more interested in their flutes of champagne or tumblers of cognac, but she was stopped every now and then.

“What do you have there, miss?” A lady inquired. Diamonds sparkled at her ears and on her throat, perfectly offsetting the navy blue of her short dress.

With a practiced movement, Macaria spun her tray closer for inspection, “Warm figs stuffed with goat cheese and pistachio, covered with a balsamic glaze.”

“Oh,” the lady’s lips pressed together in distaste. “I dislike figs.”

Macaria inwardly sighed; if she had just looked at the tray she would have seen that they were figs to begin with. Instead she kept her smile in place, inclined her head discreetly, and backed away.

She turned to the next group, and her hazel eyes collided with a set of whiskey amber ones. Oh, she thought dazedly, how scrumptious. Like caramelized honey.

Instantly she averted her own, uncomfortable. She performed her ritual, keeping her gaze focused away from the man who had surprised her. But she couldn’t keep herself from noticing him from her periphery. 

Tall; his perfect posture added an air of authority. Back ramrod straight, although his limbs were more relaxed than if he were on military parade. His white uniform boasted a number of medals, four silver stars displayed on the bands on the tops of his shoulders. He was quite high up in the Inquisition, Macaria deduced. His hat was tucked under one arm, leaving his sandy blond hair gleaming in the lights from the chandeliers. A strong jaw, dusted with non-regulation growth. Was he on leave?

She snapped back to attention when she realized that she was just standing there. A faint blush touched her cheeks; thankfully her skin tone was dusky enough to hide that display of discomfort. Being Antivan had some benefits.

Macaria turned back to the kitchens, intent on refreshing her try. Rose had just entered the room and she couldn’t help but let her friend know of the hottie in the room. “Check out the blonde with Lady Olivia.”

Rose grinned expectantly, her eyes shooting to where Macaria had subtly gestured. Her expression became stunned, then happy pleasure suffused her features. “Cullen!” She cried out, loudly. Macaria’s mouth dropped open in shock, and she fumbled as Rose shoved her tray into her hands.

Rose flew across the room, drawing everyone's stares as she darted through the crowd. The officer Macaria had been checking out turned, his brows lowered in perplexity. 

That changed, though, as soon as he saw the woman with streaming blonde hair dash up to him. “Rosalie!” He shouted jubilantly. Rose launched herself at his broad chest, and he clasped her around the waist and lifted her up, spinning her in a laughing circle.

A second later he set her down, and the two of them instantly started speaking to each other. Macaria was too far away to hear any of it, and shortly her view was obscured by the crowd that gathered around the happy two.

Her lips twisted in a wry smile as she pushed back through the kitchen door. Well obviously Rose was intimately acquainted with this Cullen. Too bad.

With the boss out of the kitchen, Macaria fell into her place, becoming too busy to think overlong on what had transpired. It was only when Rose’s happily babbling interspersed with a teasing tenor entered the kitchen, then Macaria look up from her work.

Rosalie looked flushed and beautiful, her arm around the waist of the officer, his around her shoulder. Definitely acquainted.

“Mackie!” Rosalie beamed, “I’m so happy we took this job! This is my brother, Cullen!”

Cullen disentangled himself from the woman at his side and stepped forward, his hand extended. “Pleasure to meet you Mackie.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she said, a little too breathlessly for comfort at the warm and strong feeling of his hand surrounding hers. Brother? Wow. That put an entirely new spin on things.

“Mackie is my second-in-command here,” Rose laughed, “and my best friend.”

Cullen bestowed a dazzling smile to her, causing her heart to beat a bit too fast. She noticed an attractive scar on his upper lip… he certainly was gorgeous when he smiled. “Thank you for putting up with my rapscallion of a sister.” He turned and tousled Rosalie’s hair, her mock-batting at his hands causing both siblings to laugh.

They looked alike, Macaria saw now. Their smiles were almost identical, facial structures similar. His hair was lighter than hers; perhaps sun bleached? Rosalie spent a lot of time indoors… and she imagined that Cullen’s job would have him outside quite a bit. 

“How long are you here for?” Rosalie grasped his hand, swinging it back and forth. “I didn’t even know you were going to be in town!”

“For two weeks. There are some award ceremonies and things. And I didn’t know you were here! Last I heard Mia said you were moving back home.”

“Psh,” Rose stuck her tongue out, “She just wants me to. But Mackie and I are doing brilliantly here, aren't we.”

Considering they were catering to such a distinguished event, Macaria nodded in proud agreement. “We are indeed.”

“Oh!” Rosalie jumped excitedly, “You must come to dinner Cullen! Our apartment is just the cutest! And we can play tour guide for you when you aren’t busy!”

Cullen raised his brows, looking between the two of them. “You share an apartment?” 

Macaria nodded, “Yes. She maneuvered it all I can never be late for work.” She turned twinkling eyes to her best friend, “Rose is a harsh taskmaster!”

Cullen laughed, his warm amber eyes locking with hers. Macaria’s smile grew wider. Well, the next two weeks were certainly going to be interesting ones!

Neither one noticed the smug looks Rosalie darted between them. She saw the sparks of interest in their eyes, had seen her brother rake his gaze over Mackie’s body when her friend wasn’t looking. Oh yes, she inwardly schemed, the next two weeks were going to be interesting indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> It wouldn't let me sleep till I put it down :) I feel like it deserves more chapters, but I don't know if/when I will get back to it!


End file.
